Husband of slain Turkish American activist criticizes lack of US investigation

The husband of Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, killed by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank two years ago, criticized Friday the lack of progress in the US legal process over her death, Anadolu reports.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency at Eygi’s graveside in the Didim district of Turkiye’s southwestern Aydin province, Hamid Mazhar Ali said: “The legal process in the US is at exactly the same point as the day she was killed.”

“There has been absolutely no progress,” he said during a memorial ceremony marking the second anniversary of her death.

“Despite our persistent requests over the past two years, no investigation has been launched.”

Ali said the pain of losing his wife remains as intense as it was when she died.

“It is just as difficult now as it was on the day she died,” he said. “It has not become any easier.”

“I think about her all the time. But it is also something a person has to learn to live with over time,” he added.

Ali said he misses hearing her laugh and joking with her.

Describing Eygi as someone who supported struggles for justice in different parts of the world from her youth, Ali said she “passionately advocated for peace and justice not only in Palestine but everywhere in the world.”

“Throughout her youth, she took part in many different struggles for peace and justice,” he added.

Ali said the situation in Palestine had deeply affected her.

“I think she was profoundly affected, especially by the events that began in 2023 and by the genocide,” he said.

“That is why she felt she had to go there. Seeing that all of this is still continuing today after such atrocities would have made her, like all of us, very angry and deeply disappointed.”

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‘Extremely hypocritical stance’ by US

Ali said the family’s pursuit of justice in the US has so far produced no results.

“I think this is an extremely hypocritical stance. But it is not surprising. We have seen this for the past 20 years, ever since Rachel Corrie,” he said.

Corrie was an American peace activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003 while trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian family’s home.

“She was an American, born and raised in the US, and her parents were American too. Yet justice was not delivered for her either,” Ali said.

“This is disappointing and it makes me angry. But when it comes to Israel, this double standard is not surprising,” he added.

“Looking at America’s approach toward Israel and its record of not holding it accountable, its talk about justice seems extremely hypocritical.”

Ali said they would continue seeking justice at both the state level in Washington and the federal level.

“We will continue doing this because we know the issue is not only Aysenur. It is everyone who has been unjustly killed around the world, including by Israel,” he said.

Incident

Israeli soldiers opened fire during a peaceful demonstration in the occupied West Bank, seriously wounding Eygi, who had joined the protest in support of Palestinians and also held US citizenship.

Eygi was taken to a Palestinian hospital after being shot in the head and died on Sept. 6, 2024.

She was laid to rest in Didim, Aydin, on Sept. 14.

Eygi was a human rights activist and volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, which supports Palestinians through peaceful and civilian means against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

The occupied Palestinian territories have periodically witnessed shootings, stabbings and car-ramming attacks targeting Israeli soldiers or occupiers amid Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank.

Israel has killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 174,000 others in Gaza since Oct. 8, 2023.

Israeli army and settler attacks in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Gaza offensive have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians and injured over 12,000 others, while around 24,000 have been arrested.

READ: Turkiye-American activist shot dead by Israel army in northern occupied West Bank